A mahapanchayat of 51 villages held in Rata Kalan village at Mahendragarh, gave a 10-day “ultimatum” to the government to constitute a committee under the CBI, SIT or a sitting Supreme Court judge to probe the allegations levelled by Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav via a video that went viral on social media.

People at the ‘mahapanchayat’ in Rata Kalan village at Mahendragarh on Tuesday.(HT Photo)

A mahapanchayat of 51 villages held in Rata Kalan village at Mahendragarh, gave a 10-day “ultimatum” to the government to constitute a committee under the CBI, SIT or a sitting Supreme Court judge to probe the allegations levelled by Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav via a video that went viral on social media.

The BSF jawan had complained of poor quality of food served to them on border, alleging officials sell ration to the locals to earn profit.

Subsequently, the ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) submitted a report to the PMO, citing versions of BSF jawans denying discontent with food. However, the report has not been received well at the native village of Tej Bahadur, which held a mahapanchayat in his defence.

Chaired by social activist Attar Singh and ex-servicemen, the mahapanchayat rubbished the report submitted by MHA and demanded an independent committee to probe the matter.

Giving a 10-day “ultimatum” to the government, the mahapanchayat said if that if this was not done, they will take their protest to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. Family of the BSF jawan also complained that Tej Bahadur was not being allowed to talk to them. “Tej Bahadur must not be pressurised or tortured as he did no wrong by asking for good quality food,” his father Shamsher Singh said.

The ex-servicemen present at the mahapanchayat praised Tej Bahadur of his initiative and said it was normal of the forces to declare a soldier mentally unstable whenever he raised voice against the disparity.

“We demand that ex-servicemen be included in the committee to probe Tej Bahadur’s allegations. Only then can the truth come out,” said Jaswant Singh.